Apparatus for lowering lifeboats



Feb. 16 1926.

' A. P. SCHAT APPARATUS FOR LOWERING LIFBBOATS Filed June 16, 1920 4 Sheets-Sbet l Jae]? 80M (MM/z Feb. 16 1926.

- A. P. scHAT APPARATUS FOR LOWERING LIFEBO'A'I'S Filed June 16, 1920 4 Sheets-$heet 2 Feb. 16 1,926. 1,573,196

A. P. SCHAT APPARATUS FOR LOWEHING LIFEBOATS Filed June 16, 1920 Y 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

Feb. 16 ,1926.

A. P. SCHAT APPARATUS FOR ,LOWERING LIFEBOATS Filed June 16, 1920 4 Sheets-$heet 4 Patented Feta. 16, 1926.

ANE PIETER sonar, or wassnivaaa, NETHERLANDS.

APPARATUS FOR LOWERING LIFEBOATS.

Application filed June 16, 1920. Serial No. 389,446.

To all whom'z'z' may concern: Be it known that 1, Ann PIETER Sonar, a sub ect of the Queen of The Netherlands,

,residing at Wassenaar, Netherlands, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Apparatus for Lowering Lifeboats, of

which the following is a specification;

, This invention relates to automatic davits,

i. e. davits adapted to turn about their own axes exclusively under the action of gravity. For practical purposes, and especially to meet the requirements of davits intimes of disaster when they are most needed, davits i. ofthis Character must be adapted to swing outboard agamst considerable list of the ship. This imparts to them a tendency to go out with undesirable speed when the ship 3 is standing on a level keel, and with dangerous swiftness when the davits are to go out in the direction of the list. Due to this situ ation, great difficulty has been experienced in controlling the outboard rotation of these gravity davits. Different kinds of braking mechanism has been employed, and guy ropes have beenused, but the brakes have been generally inadequate, and the guy ropes fastened to the jibs of the davits are so high up that they are inconvenient to manipulate and are otherwise undesirable.

Another object is to utilize the boatfall as a part of the controlling means just referred to, so that it not onlyserves its ordi nary purpose of raising and lowering the boat,'butis also employed at the same time in controlling the outward rotation of the davit, thus simplifying the mechanism used in handling the davit.

, Other objects will appear in the subjoined description.

With the above objects in view, I connect at least one of the pair of davits. at a point outside the aXis of rotation and below the levelof the top side of the boat, when resting on its chocks, with a cable or a tackle by means of which the davit may be held against the action of gravity; In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the said cable is the boatfall, which for this purpose has been rove in a suitable manner.

The invention consists in certain novel 'features of construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows an elevation, partly in section, of one embodiment of my invention in which a vertical davit is employed, with a separate rope used in the ordinary way for raising and lowering the boat. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-12 of Fig. 1. F shows a construction quite similar to Figs. 1 and 2, but with a davit which has its lower portion inclined outwardly in order to impart to it its tendency to rotate outward by gravity. Fig. 4; is a top plan view of Fig. 3. Fig. shows a vertical davit similar to that shown in Fig. 1, but with an arrangement by which the boatfall is utilized for swinging the boat inboard and outboard, as well as for raising and loweringthe boat, thus'employing only one rope for both operations. Fig. 6 is a top plan View of Fig. 5, but with the portion of the frame 2 above the line 6-6 cut away. Fig. 7 shows a construction similar to Fig. 5, but with an inclined davit; and Fig. 8 is a top plan view of Fig. 7.

In Figures 1 and 5, 1 is a vertical davit which is rotatable about its own axis in a support 2. The davit l is provided with a roller 3 supported on a helical t'ack 4 of the support 2. When the davit is swung in, the roller 8 is supported bythe top part, and when the davit is swung out, same is supported by the lower part of the track l. At a slight vertical distance from the deck 5 the davit 1 has secured to it an arm 6 with a pin 7 to which an eye 8 is pivoted. In

the said eye is hooked a sheave 9 of a tackle the other sheave 10 of which is connected with a bollard 11. The hauling part of the cable 12 rove through these sheaves is passed around the said bollard. The fall 13 of the boat 1a is fastened to a cleat 15 on thedavit 1 provided with a guide roller 16 over which the fall is led.

Whenthe boat it hangs freely by its fall, the davit tends to swing out, but this tendency is counteracted by the tackle 9, 10. 12. By veering the cable 12, which may be done by means of the bollard 11 as slowly as may be desired, the boat may be allowed to swing out by gravity.

The swinging in of the boat, after the latter has been hoisted, is also effected by means of the tackle 9, 10, 12 after which the boat maybe lowered onto its chocks.

Figures 3 and t show a similar arrangement with a davit the axis of rotation of which has a considerable inclination to the deck. Corresponding parts being designated by the same reference numerals, a further description of these figures appears to be superfluous. It should be noted, how'- ever, that'the. pin 7 here is secured to a disc 6 formedas a brake disc for a brake band 6 with which the davit may be locked in any givenposition when desired. i The arrangement described for controlling the davit, and raising and lowering the boat, may be slightly modifieds'o that the boatfall maybe rove through the tackle in such a way that only one continuous rope is required to do the work of both the ropes 12 and 13 as described up to this time; and if in addition to this a winch be provided instead of the bollard 11,- this winch will serve, the double purpose of controlling the rotation ofthe davit and of raising and I lowering the boat.

l the drum 17 Of'a winch.

. Figs. 5 and 6 show Figs. 1 and 2 modified in a way. to embody this new principle; and Figs. 7 and 8 show the same principle applied to; an inclined davit. The boat fall 13 in these figures runs from the davit top to a guide roller 16 of the davit 1, thence to the sheave 10, and finallyover the sheave 9 to The sheave 9 is connected 1 with an arm on the davit in the manner stated. 7

If the boat hangs freely from its fall the davit has a tendency to turn out by gravity, since the roller 3 rests on the inclined plane, and when the.rope is loosened, the roller rotates the davit as it goes down the inclined track. This arrangement causes the davit to rise and fallin the socket at the lower end thereof. The swinging ,out may be effected simply by unwinding the fall from the drum 117 of the winch. After the-boat has completely swung out I continue 'tounwind the fall until the boat has been lowered to the water level, i When the boat has'been hoisted by means of the winchI continue to wind the fall on the winch drum whereby the davit and the boat suspended therefrom are swung in. When the boat has come to a position directly over the chocks, the winch is given a quick backward turn or two which serves to drop the boat, as it were, onto the chocks before gravity can overcome the inertia of the davits sufliciently to move them appreciably from the inward position to which they have been brought. When the boat is on the checks, the davit is secured by brakes or other suitable means, in its inward position.

It should be noticed that with an arrangement illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 and in Figures 7 and 8, the falls of both davits of a pair of davits may be wound on one and the same winch drum.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a davit having upper and lower portions disposed at an angle to each other and adapted to rotate outboard by gravity on the longitudinal axis of the lower portion to swing a lifeboat to outboard position, of a flexible member for controlling the rotation of. the davit, said davit having means connected withits lower portion adapted to be engaged by the flexible connection at a point outside the periphery of said lower portion and below the level of the top side of the boat when the same is at rest on deck.

'2. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a davit having upper and lower portions disposed at an angle to each other and adapted to rotate outboard by gravity-on the longitudinal axis .of the lower portion to swing a lifeboat to outboard position, of a flexible member for controlling the rotation of the davit, said davit having means connected with its lower portion adapted to be engaged by the flexible connection at a point outside the periphery of said lower portion, and below the level of the top side of the boatwhenthe same is at rest on deck, the portion of said flexible member connected with the davit to retate the same being arranged to extend in a direction approaching right angles to'the lower portion of the davit. V

3. In a device of the'character described, the combination with adaviton ship deck having upper and lower portions disposed at an angle to eachother with the lower portion mounted in upper and lower bearings,

and the davit adapted to rotate by gravity on the longitudinal axis of itslowe r portion to swlng a l feboat to outboard tation of the davit;..means 'connectedwith the lower portlon of the davitbetween its upper and lower bearings adapted to be engaged by the flexible connection at a point outside the periphery of said lower portion and below the'level of the top of the boat when the same is at rest on deck, whereby the rotatable pull of the flexible member on the davit is on the lower portion there and the Idavit adapted to rotate by gravity position, ofv a flexible member for controlling the roon the longitudinal axis of its lower portion to swing a lifeboat to outboard position, of a flexible member extending downwardly at one end from the jib of the davit for con nection with the boat for raising and lowering the same and a drum at its other end upon which the flexible connection is wound; means connected with the lower portion of the davit between its upper and lower bearings for controlling the rotation of the davit, said means being adapted to be engaged by the flexible connection b-etwen its ends and at a point outside the axis of rotation of said lower portion and below the level of the top of the boat when the same is at rest on deck; whereby a single cable serves to lower the boat and to rotate the davit to inboard and outboard position, with the pull of the cable on the lower portion of the davit at a point betwen the upper and lower bearings thereof.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a da-vit having upper and lower portions disposed at an angle to -each other and adapted to rotate by its own weight on the longitudinal axis of the lower portion to swing a lifeboat to outboard position, oi a flexible member for controlling the outboard rotation of the davit; said davit having a member rigidly connected with its lower portion at a point below the level of the top of the boat when the same is at rest on deck, said rigid member having means for engagement with the flexible connection at a point outside the periphery of said lower portion; and a drum for the reception of said flexible connection.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a davit on shipdeck having upper and lower portions disposed at an angle to each other with the lower portion mounted in upper and lower bearings and the davit adapted to rotate by gravity on the longitudinal axis of its lower portion to swing a lifeboat to outboard position, of a flexible member extending downwardly at one end from the jib of the davit for connection with the boat for raising and lowering the same; and a drum at its other end upon which the flexible connection is wound; means connected with the lower portion of the davit betwen its upper and lower bearings for controlling the rotation of the davit, said means being adapted to be engaged by the flexible connection between its ends and at a point outside the axis of rotation o:l' said lower portion and below the level of the top of the boat when the same is at rest on deck; whereby a single cable serves to raise and lower the boat and to rotate the davit to inboard and outboard position, with the pull of the cable on the lower portion of the davit at a point between the upper and lower hearings thereof.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a davit having upper and lower portions disposed at an angle to each other and adapted to rotate by its own weight on the longitudinal axis of the lower portion to swing a li'l eboat to outboard position, of a flexible member for controlling the outboard rotation of the davit; said clavit having a member rigidly connected with its lower portion at a point below the level of the top of the boat when the same is at rest on deck; a block and tackle arrangement of which the flexible member forms a part, said rigid member having means for engagement with one end of this block and tackle arrangement at a point outside the periphery ol said lower portion of the davit; and a drum for the fGCEQtlOD of the flexible member at the other end of the block and tackle arrangement.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature.

ANE PIETER SCHAT. 

